I made this for a family gathering and everyone went crazy over this dish. It’s great as a side dish or as the main meal. It has a few steps, but it is well worth it. The best part is that I used cherry tomatoes from my garden! This is gonna be a permanent fixture on our table. The original recipe is from Half Baked Harvest and was made with gnocchi. In addition to using pasta, I made a few other tweaks for my taste. The link to the original recipe is on the recipe.
Notes
The original recipe is from Half Baked Harvest. She made her recipe with gnocchi. Here is the link: https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/simple-summer-tomato-pesto-grilled-corn-gnocchi/
I made several little tweaks for my ease of preparation. Optional: This is also excellent with a poached egg on top.
Ingredients
- 3 pints cherry tomatoes
- 2/3 cup toasted pine nuts
- 1 TBS lemon zest
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 package of gemelli pasta (I used a 17.6 oz package)
- 4 zucchini, quartered
- 4 ears of fresh corn, kernels cut off the cob
- 1 (8 oz) block of feta cheese cut into small cubes
- Sea salt & pepper to taste
- Fresh basil & red pepper flakes for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees
- In a roasting pan, drizzle tomatoes with olive oil & season with sea salt and pepper. Roast tomatoes for 10-15 minutes, or until they start to blister & split. Remove from oven & let cool.
- Meanwhile, prepare pasta according to package directions & subtracting 1 minute from suggested cooking time. Before draining reserve 1 cup of pasta liquid.
- When done, drain pasta and return pot to stove. Add 2 TBS olive oil and sauté fresh corn niblets for 3-4 minutes.
- Meanwhile, add 1 pint of the roasted tomatoes and the toasted pine nuts, lemon zest, garlic, cheese, & olive oil to a blender or food processor. Pulse until smooth. Set aside.
- Add the remaining roasted tomatoes (and any liquid from roasting), zucchini & reserved pasta water to the sautéed corn. Add sea salt & pepper to taste.
- Add in the drained pasta, feta cheese cubes and the tomato pesto sauce. Toss until everything is coated.
- Garnish with fresh basil & red pepper flakes. Serve warm.
